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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25261063">Batman – Broken Deck Part 1</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClashBlandycoot/pseuds/ClashBlandycoot'>ClashBlandycoot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:47:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,465</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25261063</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClashBlandycoot/pseuds/ClashBlandycoot</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s night time, a storm is thrashing. An old warehouse at the edge of the river, surrounded by shipping containers and a wire fence. The lights of the city can be seen from the other side of the immensely wide river.</p>
<p>
  <em>O: “15 Banks in 9 months… 35.7 million stolen… 8 people killed and 20 more in hospital…”</em>
</p>
<p>Motorcycles driving through city streets evading the police, they weave through the traffic at great speed, 5 of them.</p>
<p>
  <em>O: “This is the most successful and deadly crime spree the Royal Flush Gang have ever had…”</em>
</p>
<p>Thunder rumbles, a motorbike slows to a stop outside the wire fence of the warehouse. The rider looks through the fence to the building.</p>
<p>
  <em>O: “We’ve checked 13 possible hide-outs and this is the last one on the list… This has to be it…”</em>
</p>
<p>The 5 riders continue through the city streets, with the pursuing cars. Some of them fire their automatic weapons back at the police cars.</p>
<p>
  <em>O: “They have to be stopped, before there is a full-on war on the streets… What’s most odd about all this though…”</em>
</p>
<p>At the warehouse the lone figure steps off the bike, removes their helmet and unleashes their cape. As lightning flashes Batman is briefly illuminated.</p>
<p>
  <em>O:” Is that all of the original Royal Flush members are in prison…”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Batman pushes the bike inside an open container and closes the door. As he takes out a wire cutter and cuts a hole in the fence. Once inside, he looks back to the clearly visible hole and tire tracks, he wants them to know someone is here…</p>
<p>He heads inside, the old entry doors have clearly been broken into. Inside the warehouse is dark, he pulls out a torch and looks around the massive room. His beam floats over empty patches of floor where huge machines once stood, with bolt holes still visible in the stone floor. The rain smashes against the old metal roof and large puddles of water are forming around the warehouse floor.</p>
<p>He shines his light into some prefab offices, he sees a total of five cots with various tools, ammunition and weapons laid around, and partially empty oil and gas cans to one side. It’s clear the gang is using this place as their hide-out.</p>
<p>
  <em>O:” Send me some scans and I’ll check them in the databases…”</em>
</p>
<p>Batman turns off the flashlight, plunging the room into darkness and a UV light peppers the space with unusual patterns. He shines the UV on various fingerprints and takes pictures with his phone.</p>
<p>
  <em>O:” Clyde Florian, former professor of Botany at Metropolis university, was hospitalised 3 years ago, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, released from Arkham care 11 months ago after being declared legally sane…”</em>
</p>
<p>Another print…</p>
<p>
  <em>O:” Hans Lieber, was a state prosecutor, suffered a metal breakdown after his marriage ended. Submitted himself to private metal care and was released 14 months ago… legally sane… hmm…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>O:” Curtis Jamaal, owned a successful chain of automobile dealerships, lifelong bipolar disorder and depression… alcoholic… checked in to rehab 12 months ago, released after 4 months… fully recovered…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>O:” Something’s not right here… these are all successful, moderately wealthy people… all been treated for mental illness, but released with a clean bill…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>O:” See… Angela Stoklasa… Head pediatric surgeon at Star City General… treated for Anxiety and Panic attacks…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I can’t identify the last set of prints?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>O:” Listen, none of these people exhibit the MO of bank robbers and murderers, they were even treated miles apart from each other… Gotham, Boston, New York, Star City, LA…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>O:” from what I can see none of these people have any reason to reform the Royal Flus…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>O:” Batman, on the news… they escaped police pursuit…They will be going back to their hideout...reports say they are heavily armed…”</em>
</p>
<p>Batman clicks his radio twice and then switches it off…</p>
<p>Batman sees lights cutting through the darkness of the warehouse and the sound of multiple engines being switched off.</p>
<p>He puts away his UV and steps back into the darkness…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Outside, the gang get off their bikes and hide them behind other containers. As they run up to the wire fence 10 looks to his left and sees the hole and tire tracks.</p>
<p>
  <em>10:” Look! Someone’s been here”</em>
</p>
<p>He points, King steps over and looks at the tracks.</p>
<p>
  <em>Queen: “Maybe they left already?”</em>
</p>
<p>King looks over to the warehouse and sees a low light coming from the warehouse windows moving back and forth slowly.</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “No, look, someone’s still in there. Weapons hot, we can’t risk losing any of that money.”</em>
</p>
<p>The gang reach for the automatic weapons they have strapped to themselves, and move towards the main doors.</p>
<p>King looks at Ace and Queen,</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “You two go around back, radios live everyone”.</em>
</p>
<p>As they run off, he notices that the lock on the main doors have been broken.</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “ok, 3, 2, 1!”</em>
</p>
<p>Jack pushes the door open and the three burst into the cavernous room, lightning silhouettes the three figures in the door frame, weapons raised. Jack closes the door behind them.</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “forward, clear the room”</em>
</p>
<p>Jack and 10 move to their left and right while King heads forwards, methodically sweeping between the containers inside the room.</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “Queen and Ace? You inside yet? We have nothing this side”</em>
</p>
<p>10 turns his head as he hears a sound from the Foreman’s office.</p>
<p>
  <em>Queen responds, “were inside, we’ve found the light source. The breakers to the building have been smashed, no power.”</em>
</p>
<p>We see 10 approach the office in back.</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “So where was the light coming from?”</em>
</p>
<p>10 enters the doorway of the room, peering into the darkness.</p>
<p>
  <em>Queen: “it’s a torch, strapped to a fan…”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “what?”</em>
</p>
<p>10 is pulled into the darkness and utters a brief scream before it is quickly cut off…</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “Everyone, Foreman’s office now!”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They all form up outside the office, King nods and they enter the room. They see 10 laying on the floor, his weapon taken.</p>
<p>
  <em>Queen: “he’s out, not dead”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “I know…” </em>
</p>
<p>He motions to the walls, Queen looks up and sees odd smears and blotches all over the wall, and herself. She sees a UV light sat on a chair up against the far wall.</p>
<p>
  <em>Jack: “Shit, fuck…”</em>
</p>
<p>Queen looks up from the light and sees the symbol of a bat highlighted on the wall. Jack, stepping back…</p>
<p>
  <em>Jack: “Its him, oh god…”</em>
</p>
<p>Ace, calmly steps out of the room, weapon raised.</p>
<p>
  <em>Queen:” Strats?”</em>
</p>
<p>King looks over at Jack</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “First, keep your heads. Keep helmets on, we stay together. Continue clearing, any torches?”</em>
</p>
<p>He pushes Jack,</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “Hey! Torch?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Jack:” No, we don’t do night jobs, so I don’t have any”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Queen:” what about the one we found earlier?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>King:” Ok, let’s move toward that one, form up”</em>
</p>
<p>The three form into a triangle shape with each facing different directions. As they approach the back of the warehouse, they notice the torch is gone, the only light in the building is the dim light of the moon shining through the roof windows. We pull out to see Batman watching them from above on one of the metal beams running across the room. He is aiming a grapple gun at the group whilst reaching for a Batarang at his belt. He has picked his next target; it is obvious that Jack is starting to panic, Batman shifts his aim down the hall created by the containers as the group angles itself down the hallway. He throws his Batarang in the opposite direction to the hallway. It hits a container on the opposite side and makes a loud metallic clang. Jack jumps and immediately starts firing in the direction of the noise, King shouts at him to stop. Jack however is too spooked and runs down the corridor that Batman is aiming at.</p>
<p>Jack runs through the aim of the grapple, Batman fires. The grapple grabs onto Jack’s leg, Batman jumps backwards under the beam he was stood on. The force of Batman pulls Jack into the air, the leverage of the beam pulling him upwards. Batman and Jack rush towards each other, Jack’s screams filling the room. As they meet each other Batman swings hard at Jacks head, simultaneously cracks open his helmet and knocks him out cold. The screaming stops, Batman hits the ground and connects an extra hook tied to the rope to a handle on the container next to him. Suspending Jack in the air. He quickly ducks down into the shadows.</p>
<p>King and Queen run over to where Jack is hanging. King looks at the rope and then the hook connected to the container.</p>
<p>
  <em>King: ”Grapple gun… back to back! Let’s get into an office where he can’t get to us…”</em>
</p>
<p>They rush over to the office and point their guns towards the only entrance.</p>
<p>Batman pulls a gas grenade from his belt. Standing just outside the doorway he rolls it inside. Coughing can be heard from inside the room.</p>
<p>King is heard shouting from inside the room</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “Fire, don’t let him in!”</em>
</p>
<p>As smoke and gunfire fills the room, Batman comes around to the window he grabs another grapple gun and Batarang, turns on night vision and throws the Batarang through the window to smash it. He aims the grapple gun at queen’s arm, grabs her and pulls the line hard. This pulls her through the window, smashing out the frame and she lands on the ground next to where he is crouched. Before anyone can react, a quick knee to the head knocks her out. Batman then runs for the darkness of the containers.</p>
<p>King jumps through the window, seeing Batman running away, fires at him. Hitting him in the back of his armour, which almost knocks Batman over.</p>
<p>
  <em>King: “STOP!”</em>
</p>
<p>Batman stands up, partially shrouded in darkness and begins to reach for some more smoke pellets.</p>
<p>A moment passes between them, then hysterical laughter can be heard. Then automatic gunfire shreds the room and a figure drops to the ground. Batman turns around to see that King has been shot multiple times and is dead. He hears the sound of a person running and that hysterical laughter disappearing towards the back of the warehouse. He runs after in pursuit.</p>
<p>A bang is heard and Batman finds the waterfront door open, looking into the raging water her sees no-one. Looking down he find Ace’s helmet on the ground with the card still attached. He reaches to pick it up.</p>
<p>Back over at King’s body, he searches his body and finds a cell phone and a key to a large set of container doors adjacent to the foreman’s office. He moves the incapacitated gang-members together in the centre of the warehouse and ties them together. He lays King on the ground with a tarp over him. in the Foreman's office he finds piles of money stacked up to his waist. He picks up the phone, dials and places the receiver and a tape recorder together on the desk. He presses play and a digitally garbled voice plays into the phone…</p>
<p>
  <em>REC: “Urgent message, the location of the Royal Flush Gang’s safehouse to follow…”</em>
</p>
<p>Batman walks to his UV torch and reaches to pick it up. He stops, and notices something on the desk…</p>
<p>
  <em>REC: “…Goth-Corp shipping, Warehouse Unit 103, Old Gotham Harbour…”</em>
</p>
<p>As he walks over to the desk, he shines the UV light over the desk. Five small rectangles have been drawn onto the desk in invisible ink. He thinks for a moment and turns his head to look out into the warehouse.</p>
<p>
  <em>REC: “…All gang-members will be restrained, unarmed and alive when you arrive…”</em>
</p>
<p>Batman stops and looks at the recorder when that last line is spoken.</p>
<p>Batman moves back to the bodies and takes the playing cards off each gang-member’s bike helmets, including Ace’s.</p>
<p>
  <em>REC: “…You will find all relevant evidence and stolen money to secure conviction…”</em>
</p>
<p>Batman then walks back into the Foreman’s office and arranges the playing cards from 10 to Ace and lays them on top of the marked places on the desk. In scrawled hand-writing they spell out…</p>
<ol>
<li>I. HAVE. YOUR. ATTENTION?</li>
</ol>
<p>
  <em>REC: “…End of message.”</em>
</p>
<p>The arrow on the final card points to the desk drawer below. Batman pulls it open, as he does a fuse is lit from the drawer opening. It runs down the desk along the floor of the warehouse and then into a room piled high with the stolen money. The money stacks are set on fire. Batman watches on, dumfounded in the moment as the money quickly burns through. He looks up as he hears sirens approach the warehouse through the rainstorm. The blue lights can see seen bouncing through the high windows of the main warehouse floor. As the fire builds and smoke billows into the massive room, he quickly looks down at the drawer and sees a black case with the words HI THERE! scrawled on it. He very quickly collects the case, the UV light and recorder and skulks into the darkness just as the police break into the building. They shine lights onto the bodies, one of them shouts into their radio…</p>
<p>
  <em>PO: “Unit 308 to Dispatch, we need detectives and CSI here, we have 4 bodies, 1 dead, 3 possibly alive, weapons…”</em>
</p>
<p>He looks at the fire, his body silhouetted by the flames and he is bewildered by the sight. He speaks into his radio…</p>
<p>
  <em>PO: “Dispatch! We need medical and fire support yesterday!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>DIS: “Roger 308, medical and fire service on route…”</em>
</p>
<p>He barks to the other officers who have entered…</p>
<p>
  <em>PO: “Ok! move these guys away from the fire. Leave the body for CSI’s. Waters’ on the way, c’mon everyone out, now!”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We cut to Batman on his bike on a quiet mountain road overlooking the old harbor, the warehouse smokes in the distance. The fire brigade and ambulances have since arrived on-site and have mostly put out the fire. News trucks have also started to arrive, Oracle’s voice cuts into his radio…</p>
<p>
  <em>O: “B? what happened in there? The News is saying one of the Royal Flush Gang has been shot dead?”</em>
</p>
<p>Batman looks down to the black case in his hands…</p>
<p>
  <em>O: “…all of the stolen money on fire? What did you do?</em>
</p>
<p>He reaches his hand and opens the clasp, he opens the box…</p>
<p>
  <em>O: “B what happened? Batman?”</em>
</p>
<p>Inside the box Batman sees a Joker card…</p>
<p>
  <em>O: “Batman? Batman? BRUCE!”</em>
</p>
<p>He turns the card over, and sees written on the other side...</p>
<p>I'M BACK, BABY!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The End…</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Batman Broken Deck Pt 2 – The Limitless Generosity of Slade Wilson</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Deathstroke runs along the roof tops</p><p>Slides down the tiles of a roof</p><p>Extends his bo-staff and catches himself between two very closely placed buildings, hanging by one arm. Just as he had planned.</p><p>He takes the sniper rifle from his back and aims it at the window with the only light that is on in the building ahead of him.</p><p>It is the GCPD main office, a couple of figures can be seen in the room. From Deathstroke’s view the backwards writing on the door says Commissioner Gordon.</p><p>He aims the rifle and pulls his finger behind the trigger guard.</p><p>From his left, an arrow flies behind the trigger, preventing him from pulling it.</p><p>He looks down and sees a green figure give a two-finger salute and jump off the edge of the fire escape.</p><p>"Urgh Greeny!", he mutters to himself sarcastically...</p><p>Useless, he shoulders the rifle and pulls the pistol form its holster and aims.</p><p>From the other side, a small piece of shaped metal strikes his hand, causing him to drop the pistol.</p><p>He looks up and sees a horned figure silhouetted against the moon.</p><p>'What the fuck he doing here? He want a threesome?' he mutters to himself...</p><p>Leaving his staff where it is, he swings up to the roof.</p><p>He repeatedly swings his fists and kicks at the dark figure, each time his adversary dodges, waiting for him to tire.</p><p>Realising this isn’t working, Deathstroke draws his sword and swings for Batman.</p><p>Nearly hitting him a couple of times, Batman pulls his bat-brick and starts blocking each strike.</p><p>Batman catches a thrust to his head and closes the Bat-brick around the sword and locks it.</p><p>He grabs the brick handle and kicks Deathstroke in the chest, wrenching the sword from his hands.</p><p>Deathstroke immediately pulls a knife from behind him and manages to stab Batman in the side.</p><p>He kicks Batman down and goes to stab him again, when a flat-ended arrow hits him in the face.</p><p>He rolls with the hit and somersaults towards his staff.</p><p>'You had to hit the side without the empty socket, didn't you...' He mutters again, shaking his head...</p><p>He rolls to pick up the staff, and simultaneously throws the knife towards batman.</p><p>Deathstroke jumps across the gap and proceeds to run across the roof-tops to escape.</p><p>Batman sets off in pursuit.</p><p>After jumping some rooftops, Deathstroke turns on Batman and uses his staff to knock a chimney into Batman’s path.</p><p>As Batman jumps over the bricks, Deathstroke swings his staff to Batman’s knife wound and knocks him down.</p><p>Deathstroke prepares to smash the end of the staff into Batman’s face, when 3 more arrows hit him simultaneously.</p><p>One hits the top of the staff, sending it flying, one hits his stomach armour and one hits his leg; sending him down to one knee.</p><p>Green Arrow runs towards Deathstroke and takes him out with a knee to his face. He kicks the staff away, hand-cuffs and unmasks Deathstroke.</p><p>As he does this he says…</p><p>“Thanks for the help darkest of knights, I’ve been tracking this puppy for days. You've heard of ranged weapons right? You can’t get stabbed from 30 feet away…”</p><p>Batman has already gone from the rooftop and has disappeared.</p><p>Slade “huh, I guess he wanted to say hi…”</p><p>Arrow "Yeah, don't we feel like special little boys, eh Slade?"</p><p>Slade "I didn't know this was a meet-and-greet, I almost shat my suit when I saw him..."</p><p>Arrow "It is weird to see him out and about, especially in this light..."</p><p>Slade looks to the inky back night sky, "You're kidding right?"</p><p>Arrow asks quizzically, "Wait, he didn't contract you to kill Gordon, just so he could stop you, did he?"</p><p>Slade "Heavens no..."</p><p>Arrow "then who? the Falcones? Maroni? or maybe... <em>Calendar Man</em>?</p><p>Slade "No, it was anonymous"</p><p>Arrow "Slade? Come on, you’re getting a bit desperate, aren’t you?"</p><p>Slade "Moneys, money dude..."</p><p>Arrow “Hey, if you are hard up, I can always lend you a buck or two. That ought to get you a granola bar in Arkham.</p><p>Slade smirks sarcastically.</p><p>Arrow stops, smiles and says, "Well, we better keep an <strong><em>eye</em></strong> out, in case he comes back..." pulling down his lower eyelid as he says it.</p><p>Slade "Fuck you!"</p><p>Arrow laughing "Come on, I've got some beer left in the Arrow Van..."</p><p>Slade "You <em>need</em> to have some better jokes than that in that quiver..."</p><p>Arrow leads Slade through the stormy alley to the street.</p><p>Slade "The Chevvy? you've still got it?"</p><p>Arrow "Yeah! what’s wrong with it?"</p><p>Slade "Nothing, nothing at all..."</p><p>There is an awkward silence…</p><p>Arrow "What?"</p><p>They stop and look at each other for a second...</p><p>Slade grins "How are you and Canary doing these days?"</p><p>a pause</p><p>Arrow smiles "Shut up..." and pushes Slade into the van.</p><p>Slade laughs with him.</p><p>Sitting in the van, a soft beeping is heard from Slade’s suit. he reads it, out of the corner of his eye he sees a small bat-bomb attached to the back of the van’s rear doors. Almost without a sound, the bomb pops and the doors open slightly.</p><p>On the street, the Arrow-van speeds past a dark alleyway and Slade smoothly leaps out of the rear doors and rolls into the alley. He looks at the message again as he walks away.</p><p>It links to a news report that shows the recently found hideout of the new Royal Flush Gang, partially burned down.</p><p>Slade sets his jaw and firms his gaze.</p><p>
  <em>Goth-Corp shipping, Warehouse Unit 103, Old Gotham Harbour</em>
</p><p>The report reads that the warehouse was recently rented out by an unknown party with the alias of Jack White, owner of <a href="http://www.whites-hypnotherapy-center.com">www.whites-hypnotherapy-center.com</a>. The site has since shut down with no leads on it’s owner.</p><p>On his phone, he gets a message showing a $1m transfer from his bank account to the Metropolis Animal Shelter.</p><p>Another text…</p><p>“Find him, or your generosity will know no limits. Love, Bats” </p><p>the view zooms away from Deathstroke and the whole city can be seen in the night</p><p>"Of course he’s a Fin-Dom…"</p><p> </p><p>The End</p>
  </div></div>
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